Coin-release chair cushion



Sept. 22, 1959" Filed Oct. 18, 1955 w. s. BAER, sR

COIN-RELEASE CHAIR CUSHION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 LL L 2 F l if? id I L i {I WALTER S. BAER,SR.

IN V EN TOR.

W. S. BAER, SR

COIN-RELEASE CHAIR CUSHION I Sept. 22, 1959 Filed Oct. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WALTER s. BAER,SR.

IN VENTOR.

' p 1959 w. s. BAER, SR 2,905,2 27

COIN-RELEASE CHAIR CUSHION I Filed Oct. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WALTER S. BAER,SR.

IN V EN TOR.

Sept. 22, 1959 w. s. BAER, SR 2,905,227

COIN-RELEASE CHAIR CUSHION Filed 001.. 1a, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 WALTER S- BAER,6R.'

IN V EN TOR.

Sept. 22, 1959, w. s. BAER, SR

' COIN-RELEASE CHAIR CUSHION 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 18, 1955 WALTER s. BAER,SR.

INVENTOR.

United Sltates Patent 2,965,221 COIN-RELEASE CHAIR cUs'rnoN Walter S. Baer, Sr., Lansdale, Pa.

Application October 18, 1955, Serial No. 541,189

Claims. (Cl. 155-2) This invention relates to a chair construction and more particularly to a chair of the type employed in stadiums or the like in which athletic contests are ordinarily held.

It is well known that spectators of athletic contests after sitting for prolonged periods become fatigued to an extent where a change of position or seating accommodations becomes desirable. With the ordinary type of chair seat employed in stadiums or the like, no opportunity is afforded for any material relief fromsuch fatigue as may be experienced by the spectators and consequently it hasbecome popular among some spectators to provide themselves with cushions or the like to relieve their fatigue.

The primary object of this invention is to enable a spectator to relieve or avoid the fatigue usually experienced without requiring the carrying of cushions, blankets or the like to provide comfortably seated chairs.

"Another object is to present either a cushioned or a hard. surface upon which to sit according to the desires of the user.

A still further object is to enable already installed stadium'chairs to be equipped with chair seats providing selected seating surfaces without in any way altering the structure of the frames and brackets upon which the seats are supported.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features two substantial, channel-shaped, metal crossarms that are either riveted or spot-welded together and supported and alined beneath the chairs conventional wood seat by means of an alining, support pin that is an integral part of the transportable, coin-release chair cushion device and riveted to the center channel arm and, in turn, is inserted'into a rigid support bracket that is permanently r-iveted to the underside and center portion of the wood seat, the channel crossarms supporting beneath themselves a wide, metal roller support bar to carry the rollerequipped, rearward end of the metal base plate that carries the-cloth-covered, foam rubber cushion, the crossarmed frame structure also carrying two support clips for supporting the cushion and its base plate, as well as a coin-actuated lock device for locking the cushion and base plate under the wood chair seat when not in use by a spectator, the coin-actuated lock device having a latch for locking the cushion base plate in place and a throw lever that relocks the cushion base plate when the latter is returned to its resting place under the wood seat after use by a spectator or patron, the locking mechanism being unlocked upon the deposit of a coin of the required denomination in a coin receiving recess in the front of the casing for the locking mechanism which is available when the hard chair seat is in a raised or upright position.

Another object, in the design of this invention, is to provide an'easily transportable, coin-controlled cushion device from one part of a stadium to another; or, in the $386 of traveling baseball or football teams, to allow transport of the device from the home stadium to another sport arena when desired.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this coin-release, chair cushion invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of a chair equipped with this new coin-release, chair cushion invention,

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the chair and attached invention illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the cross-formed, channel frame of the invention, with its support clips, support bracket and alining support pin, cushion base plate and coin-actuating lock,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the coin-release, cushion device with its cushion depicted on top of the chairs wood seat, and the upper support bracket that is riveted to the underside of the wood seat,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the cushion device that illustrates the cushion and its base plate supported and latch-locked beneath the coin-actuated lock and the chairs wood seat,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 3, with the exception of depicting the upper support bracket and the cushioned part on top of the chairs wood seat.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, there is shown a.

longitudinal channel 10 to which is attached the crossarm channel 11 by rivets 12 which combine to form a substantially cross-formed, supporting frame. port clips 13 with extended guide prongs 14 are attached to the ends of channel 11 by rivets or spot-welded. The roller support bar 15 is attached to the ends of channel 10 by bolts 16. The lower support bracket 17, that retains the alining and support pin 18 by the welding 19, and which support pin has a bolt or cotter pin hole 20, is attached permanently to the channel 10 by rivets 21.

Mounted to the crossarm channel 11 is the coin-actuated lock 22, by the rivets 23. The cushion base plate 24 has the integral handgrip 25 and handhole 26. The extension part 27, of the base plate 24, has permanently attached to it the roller pins 28 by the welding 29, and these roller pins carry the rollers 30, and the part 27 also carries a rectangular opening 31 through which passes the roller support bar 15, upon which the rollers 30 are supported during transfer of the cushion 33 and its base plate 24 from beneath the wood seat to the top of the latter and return after use by a spectator. The canvas backing 32, of the foam rubber cushion 33 is permanently attached to the fiber glass cloth covering 34, and is permanently secured between the base plate 24 and the clamp strips 35 and 36 by the rivets 37. The machined surface 38 of the lower support bracket 17 has a smooth finish to provide a close fit to the machined surface 39 of the upper support bracket 40 to prevent any turning effect of the round alining and support pin 18 and the lower supported structure. The upper support bracket 40 is attached to the underside of the chairs wood seat 41 by the rivets 42.

The coin-actuated lock 22 carries the locking latch 43 that fits into the recess 44 of the base plate 24 for locking purposes, and the throw lever 45 that releases the latch 43 for locking, with an elongated coin receiving slot 46. The wood seat 41, that carries the upper support bracket 40, is supported by the pivoted brackets 47 of a conventional chair frame designated generally as 48 by means of which the seat is supported for folding upwardly against the back 49 of the stadium chair.

In the preferred form of the invention the housing 22 The supincloses a suitable coin-controlled release mechanism that carries the locking latch 43' and throw lever 45*. The latch 43 engages the recess 44 formed in the cushion base plate 24 to hold the cushion under the wood seat until such time as a'coin is deposited in the device, through the receiving slot 46. The deposited coin actuates the internal mechanism of the. device which, in turn, draws back the latch 43 and allows the spectator to withdraw the cushion 33, by means of the handgrip 25, and place the cushion on top of the wood seat, by swinging the cushion and base plate through an appropriate are. To replace the cushion, after the game, to its former locked position under the wood seat, the handgrip- 25 is grasped and the cushion base plate 24 swung in 'an arc of approximately l80 and then shoved back under the wood seat. The throw lever 45 is pushed back by the base plate 24 and thus releases the latch 43, that drops into the recess 44 at the appropriate time. In the eventuality that someone previously tampers with the throw lever 45 and releases the latch 43, the, returning base plate 24' will simply raise the tapered latch and allow it to later drop into the recess 44. The latch 43 is so designed with the rear side straight that the base plate 24 cannot be withdrawn until the mechanism of the locking device is unlocked with a deposited coin and the latch witha drawn from the recess 44.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and de-' scribed the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts.

may be resorted to without departing fom the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwiseithan 35 specifically described. What is claimed is: 1. In a chair, a seat therefor, a cushion device associated with the seat and including a pin-receiving bracket:

attached to the underside of the seat, a cross-shaped support frame under the seat carrying an alining andjsupport pin removably slidably received and locked in said.

bracket, one of the cross arms of the cross-shaped support frame extending from one side to the other side of the chair seat and having attached, at its ends depending support clips with inturned extremities for supporting a.

cushion bearing base plate in position beneath the chair seat, the other of said cross arms of the cross;shaped support frame extending from the front to the rear of.

the chair seat and supporting at, its ends. the ends of a support bar that also extends fore and aft beneath the center of the seat and under the fore and aft cross arms, a cushion bearing base plate normally occupying a position under the seat and below the support bar whenfnot in. use, and an extension on the rear end of the cushion bearing base plate interengaging with the support bar,

the interengagement of the base plate extension to. the

support bar serving to lock the base plate and its cushionto the chair seat andto provide movement of the plate and the cushion borne thereby from a position beneath the seat to a positionon top of the seat,

2. In a chair, a seat therefor, apin receiving bracket attached to the underside of the seat, ametal; support frame under the seat carrying a, support pin, slidably received and releasably locked in said; bracket, said-sup port frame having at the opposite sides of the seat'a pairof depending support clips with inturned extremities forming a receptacle for receiving and supporting a cushion in position beneaththe chair seat, saidsupportframe further having a support bar thereunder extending in a fore and aft direction, a cushion member having a metallic extension interengaging with the support; bar, the interengagement of the cushion member cxtfinsion with the support bar serving to lock the cushion member to the chair seat and to provide movement of the cushion 4 member from a position beneath the seat to a position on top of the seat.

3. In a chair, a seat therefor, a pin receiving bracket attached to the underside of the seat, a metal support frame under the seat and suspended therefrom by a support pin carried by the frame and slidably received and releasably locked in said bracket, said support frame having a pair of depending support clips at the opposite sides of the, chair seat haying inturned lower extremities forming a receptacle for receiving and supporting a cushion member in position beneath the chair seat, said supportv frame further having a support bar thereunder extending in a fore and aft direction of the seat, a cushion member, and an extension, carriedbythe cushion member and interlockingly engaging the support bar and providing movement of the cushion member from a position beneath the seat to a position on top of the seat while locking the cushion member to the chair seat.

4. A cushion device for attachment to the seat of a chair comprising, in combination, a pin-receivingbracket adapted'to be secured to the underside of a chair seat, a cross-shaped metallic support frame carrying a support pin removably slidably received and locked in said bracket, one of the cross arms of the support. frame having a length such as to extendfrom substantially one side to the ether side of the chair seat for which the device is intended and having attached at its ends a pair of depending support clips with inturnedi lower extremities. which format receptacle for receiving and supporting a cushion member in position beneath the chair seat, the other of said cross arms of the support frame having a length such as to extend from substantially the front edge to the rear edge of the chair seat for which the support bar that also extends fore and aft beneath the center of the seat and under the cross arm, a cushion member, a metallic base plate forming partof the cushion member and having a rearward extension interlockingly engaging the support bar and providing movement of the cushion member from a position beneath the seat to a position ontop of the seat while locking the cushion member to the device and thus to the chair seat to which the device is attached.

5. A cushion device for attachment to the seat of a chair comprising, in combination, a. cross-shaped support frame adapted to be secured to the underside of'a, chair seat, one of the cross arms of the support frame having a length such as to extend from substantially one side tothe other side ofthe chair seat for which the device is intended and having attached at its ends a pairof' depending support clips with inturned lower extremities which form a receptacle for receiving and supporting a cushion member, the other of said cross arms of the support frame having a length such as to extend the chair seat for which the device is intended and carrying at its ends the ends of a support bar that also extends fore and aft beneath the center of the seat and, in slightly spaced relation to the fore andaft cross arm, a cushion member having an extension movably engag ing the support bar and providing movement of the cushion member from a position in said formed receptacle tothe top of the chair seat to which the device is attached, and'means carried by the cross-shaped support frame for securing the same to the underside of achair seat.

6; In acoin released chair cushion device with a sub the seatof a conventional spectator chair, said pin being lockable in said recess by suitable means, one of said channel-shaped crossarms having attached thereto channel-shaped support clips extending downward in a vertical direction with extended guide prongs at their lower extremities for support of a cushion base plate and cushion beneath the chairs seat, the other of said channel-shaped crossarms extending from front to rear of the spectator chair and supporting at its ends the ends of a roller support bar, said roller support bar supporting a rollerequipped extension arm of the cushion base plate and passing through a rectangular opening in said extension arm thereby furnishing a surface for the roller-equipped extension arm to roll on.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 in which a cloth covered resilient cushion having a sturdy canvas backing is attached to the cushion base plate, and rollers are fastened to the extension arm of the cushion base plate and amply separated from one another to allow vertical adjustment of the cushion base plate and cushion to allow for irregular curvature and variable height of the seat.

8. The structure defined in claim 6 in which the fore and aft roller support bar is shaped at the rear end of the seat to provide an extended downward loop for limiting the rearward travel of the cushion base plate and to stop the base plate at the proper position to allow a locking latch to drop into a provided recess of the cushion base plate, and the front end of the roller support bar is shaped to provide an upward extended loop for upward travel of the extension arm of the cushion base plate when the latter is placed on the seat for seating purposes.

9. In a chair, an upper support bracket permanently attached to the under side of a central portion of a spectators seat, a cross arm structure under the chair seat with one arm extending in a fore and aft direction thereto and the other arm transverse thereto, a lower support bracket attached to the fore and aft arm of said crossarm structure, one of said support brackets having a support pin and the other of said brackets having a recess receiving the support pin, the upper and lower support brackets having matching surfaces engaging one another, said matching surfaces of both support brackets acting to prevent rotation of the crossarm structure on the support pin, a support bar having its ends attached to and suspended from the fore and aft arm of the crossarm structure, and a cushion device slidable on the support bar and swingable to a position to overlie the chair seat, means detachably secured to the support pin for preventing retraction thereof from the recess during the slidable movement of the cushion device from beneath the seat, support clips secured to and depending from the ends of the transverse arm of the crossarm structure for supporting the cushion plate in its underneath position, and a coin-control mechanism suspended from the transverse arm of the crossarm structure and having means releasably lockingly engageable with the cushion device when the latter is beneath the seat.

10. In a coin released chair cushion device with a substantially cross-shaped support frame, said device comprising: two crossarrns fixedly secured together intermediate their ends and carrying thereon a lower support bracket, an upper support bracket attached to the central underside portion of a seat of a conventional spectator chair, one of said support brackets having a support pin and the other of said support brackets having a recess receiving and locking the support pin therein, one of said crossarms having attached thereto support clips extending downward in a vertical direction and having laterally inturned edges at their lower extremities for support of a cushion base plate and cushion beneath the chairs seat, the other of said crossarms extending from front to rear of the spectator chair and supporting at its ends the ends of a roller support bar, said roller support bar supporting a roller-equipped extension arm of the cushion base plate and passing through an opening in said extension ann thereby furnishing a surface for the roller equipped extension arm to roll on.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,684,989 Horn Sept. 18, 1928 2,577,197 Kinney Dec. 4, 1951 2,715,434 Lukens Aug. 16, 1955 2,818,956 Lukens Jan. 7, 1958 

